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  • Elmont/Belmont Race Track Station

  • Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #1480907  by BM6569
 
"The state’s chief business development agency said the Long Island Rail Road is “evaluating existing rail infrastructure” around Belmont Park in an effort to determine how best to increase service to the planned new Islanders arena.

The LIRR study is expected to be completed by the end of September."

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nas ... 1.20092482" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1491476  by MNCRR9000
 
However, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the developer’s ambitious goal continues to be the lack of a viable mass transit solution, even as 11th-hour talks between the state and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority try to solve the daunting and pricey problem of providing adequate train service to the Elmont racetrack property.

Islanders ownership, elected officials and community residents are all on the record saying that creating full-time, train service from east and west to the Belmont Park Long Island Rail Road station is necessary for the arena project to move forward.

At last month’s candidates forum at the Elmont Public Library, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky said: “I’d love to come back here in a couple of months and say we now have full-time train service…If I can’t come back and stand here and look you in the face and say those things, I’m going to have a big problem with the project.”

Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky told WFAN earlier this year that the Belmont Park LIRR station should have year-round, regular train service. He called the mass transit component “a vital part of the community, not just when there is horse racing and not just when there is a concert or a game. All the time.”

But on the eve of the release of the arena project’s draft environmental impact statement, questions remain. How long will it take to bring viable train service to Belmont Park? How much will that cost? Who will pay for it?


The walkway from the yet-to-be-upgraded Belmont Park LIRR station connects to the grandstand. (Photo by Judy Walker)

The MTA has been looking at several options for LIRR upgrades at Belmont Park, ranging in cost from $30 million for limited service to $300 million for a full-time station, according to Mitch Pally, an MTA board member and CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute.

https://libn.com/2018/11/15/fear-and-lo ... in-elmont/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1491510  by krispy
 
MNCRR9000 wrote:Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky told WFAN earlier this year that the Belmont Park LIRR station should have year-round, regular train service. He called the mass transit component “a vital part of the community, not just when there is horse racing and not just when there is a concert or a game. All the time.”
Seriously? 15 minute walk for me from BRT to Queens Village station. All of the time? Who would actually use it during the off-hours, besides the lowest paid laborers in the park.
BM6569 wrote:"The state’s chief business development agency said the Long Island Rail Road is “evaluating existing rail infrastructure” around Belmont Park in an effort to determine how best to increase service to the planned new Islanders arena.

The LIRR study is expected to be completed by the end of September."
Easy, put switches in at Queens 3 (old Bellerose INT) from East Leg to ML1, as had been initially planned when they re-did Queens. Be nice to have the pocket back! Interesting to see how it will go down as they do the third ML track...
 #1491534  by railfaned
 
How about extending the future Brooklyn - Jamaica shuttles to Belmont? Just asking. Run thru Holban Yard Ha Ha.
I've been in the Florida sun too long.
 #1493160  by BM6569
 
"The Long Island Rail Road has agreed to provide "two trains" for New York Islanders games and other events at the proposed Belmont Park arena, according to a synopsis of the $1.2 billion project posted on Empire State Development’s website Wednesday night.

ESD, the state’s primary business aid agency, also said for the first time that state officials “will concurrently work with LIRR to explore opportunities for a full-time station to meet the needs of commuters and local residents.”

The trains would run from Jamaica station, according to the report, which provided no more information on how and when they would run.

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) said the state/LIRR study would include the possibility of service from the east to Belmont. The latest LIRR transportation plans for Belmont, revealed for the first time in ESD's online post, comes ahead of the agency's board of directors meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday in Manhattan to authorize the release of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed arena project."

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/pol ... 1.24260166" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1493359  by Meal Period
 
Seems like those Billions could be better spent. They could not draw in Nassau, cannot draw in Brooklyn, so lets try Belmont . Do you really think fans from Long Island will take a train to Jamaica, then an eastbound to Belmont? Then have to do the reverse to go home? They would have been better off transportation wise to stay in Brooklyn.
 #1504930  by MNCRR9000
 
The state agency overseeing the Islanders’ $1.2 billion arena project at Belmont Park is expanding its environmental review to study the possibility of adding a full-time Long Island Rail Road station, sources said.

The new station would be attached to the LIRR’s main line, just north of Belmont Park, and would allow people traveling from the east to take the train directly to Belmont.

The current Belmont Park station operates only during horse racing season and is a spur off the main line, accessible only from Jamaica. Riders from the east must go to Jamaica and transfer to a train to Belmont.
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/pol ... 1.29345692" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1504934  by BuddR32
 
A shuttle bus from a new LIRR Mainline station to the arena isn't enough of an incentive for me to take the train to Belmont. Just my $.02
 #1504938  by MattAmity90
 
Since this is a planned project that will see it become a sports complex, the only thing I would do is add two more high-level platforms. I talked to the LIRR about it via Facebook, and they said Belmont Park could or eventually have one or two more platforms constructed. That way more trains can just stay put docked at those platforms for return trips home. Besides there are more important capital projects either currently ongoing or as a dire priority that have been postponed because money had to be transferred to complete some components for the Double Track project.
 #1504976  by NIMBYkiller
 
This is a joke, right? Build a new station that's still going to require them to take a shuttle? If they don't want to run to the existing Belmont station then just use Queens Village and run the shuttles from there.
 #1504988  by Backshophoss
 
The east leg of the Belmont wye has Electric locked Hand throw switches,not easy to use.
Would require running against normal traffic flow,and NEW crossovers between Floral Park and Bellerose to to access Hempstead Branch (ML 4)
to use the east leg of the Belmont wye! :(
 #1505002  by nyandw
 
New Belmont Station Study - Newsday 4/04/2019

That last paragraph of the article indicates that the new station would be constructed along the Main Line and riders would take buses to the complex: get off the train, walk down to road level, get on a shuttle bus, all for a 5 minute ride to the new complex (2,594' from the east end of the wye at the Main Line to the current station.) That would, indeed, allow access from the east, but utilizing the east leg of the existing wye and a new station AT the complex would just as easily allow that access and be more convenient to riders, yes? If you're going to spend beaucoup bucks to build a new station facility, build it with easy on-and-off WHERE IT'S NEEDED and not 2,600+' away?
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